SAS is a database-forming programming language, a means to organize, in order to analyze, the huge amount of seemingly unrelated facts on a topic.


(A) a means to organize, in order to analyze, the huge amount

(B) a means to organize, in order to analyze, the huge number

(C) the means of organizing for analyzing the huge number

(D) the means that organizes, in order to analyze, the huge amount

(E) the means for organizing in order to analyze the huge amount
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MANHATTAN REVIEW OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:

If you use the phrase ‘the means’, that implies that there is no other possible way of organizing such information. This would change the meaning of the sentence. If the sentence said, for example, SAS is the only database-forming language, then you would use the phrase ‘the means’. That eliminates choices C, D and E. Now you have to determine whether you have an amount of facts or a number of facts. Facts are countable. So you have to use the word ‘number’, not the word ‘amount’. Choice B is the correct answer.
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